News Roundup 02 December 2022
Dec 02, 2022 • 4 min Read
Poor performance led to NTF-ELCAC budget cut – Hontiveros | INQUIRER.NET – Senator Risa Hontiveros on Friday said that the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict’s (NTF-ELCAC) bad performance led to budget cuts from the Senate. The NTF-ELCAC was only able to accomplish or start 2% of its projects from last year’s budget, according to House appropriations panel chairman and Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Zaldy Co. “Pagdating sa budget, simple lang: kapag pangit ang performance, babawasan ang pondo, at ibibigay ang pera sa tunay na nangangailangan,” said Hontiveros. (When it comes to the budget, it is simple: If performance is poor, the budget will be reduced and channeled to those who need it). The NTF-ELCAC “must first be able to show that its initiatives worked,” said the opposition senator. Hontiveros added that the funds should go to implementing agencies such as the health, social welfare and development and labor and employment departments, among others. “Bilang taga-bantay ng kaban ng bayan, uunahin din dapat nating bigyan ng tulong at pondo ang basic services, major health programs, ayuda para sa mga nabiktima ng kalamidad, at pantawid ng mga pinadapa ng matinding kahirapan,” added Honitveros. (As protectors of the government’s coffers, priority funding should be extended to basic services, health programs, and aid to victims of calamities, disasters and those mired in poverty.) Co previously said that the House bicameral committee plans to restore the NTF-ELCAC’s budget while acknowledging that the task force has been underperforming.
Pouring billions to fight insurgency fire: Questions on NTF-Elcac funds demand answers | INQUIRER.NET – While proposals to allocate billions of pesos in funds to the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-Elcac) have always been met with strong opposition, it still manages to get a big share of the government’s budget. The government’s weapon against a half-century old insurgency, the NTF-Elcac, which was created on Dec. 4, 2018 by then President Rodrigo Duterte’s Executive Order 70, first received P1.7 billion in 2020. But in 2021, even with strong opposition from activists red-tagged by some of its officials, the budget of the task force grew to P19.2 billion and then P17.1 billion this year—resources intended for the Barangay Development Program (BDP) that rewards villages “cleared of communist rebels” with P20 million each. This, even if the Commission on Audit (COA) has already flagged problems on the use of the agency’s funds, with the first one revealed last year—that in 2020, there were “deficiencies” in the implementation of programs, projects and activities of the task force’s six member-agencies. According to COA in its 2020 Annual Financial Report, “incomplete documentation, low fund utilization and unutilized funds, unauthorized fund transfers and lack of guidelines on the use of funds” were observed in the implementation of the programs of these NTF-Elcac member-agencies:
- Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG)
- Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)
- National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP)
- Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP)
- Philippine National Police (PNP)
- Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA)
The largest funding called out by COA was the amount transferred to the PNP as only P240.8 million of the P722.9 million allocated funds were released, leaving behind a balance of P482.1 million that was not obligated.
US lawmaker’s adviser visits De Lima | PHILSTAR.COM – A security adviser of a US lawmaker yesterday visited former senator Leila de Lima at her detention cell at Camp Crame. Chris Homan is the senior adviser on national security and foreign policy of US Senator Dick Durbin. Homan was accompanied by the other staff members of Durbin when he visited De Lima at the Philippine National Police (PNP) Custodial Center. A statement from the PNP said Homan and three other persons arrived at the camp at around 9:40 a.m. The visitors were received at the Chief PNP Lounge for briefing and documentation. They were briefed by Lt. Col. Larry Gabion, chief of the PNP Custodial Center, on the adjusted security measures imposed at the facility following the attempted escape of three Abu Sayyaf bandits in October. “Mr. Homan was informed that De Lima’s health condition is regularly monitored by PNP doctors. The team was also briefed of De Lima’s own decision to remain at the facility despite offers of transfer of detention facility,” the PNP’s statement read. The Muntinlupa City Regional Trial Court Branches 204 and 256 earlier allowed the rescheduling of the visit of Homan to De Lima, more than five years in detention. Originally, the visit was allowed by the court anywhere from Oct. 23 to 28, but due to issues and engagements, this was rescheduled to Nov. 27 to Dec. 3. The visit yesterday ended at about 10:20 a.m., the PNP said.
